‘We’ll know if you’ve been drinking,’ Newport police sing on holiday DUI warning video

The Newport Beach Police Department has its own Christmas carol.

In a video posted Monday, officers traded in sleds for motorcycles and, to the tune of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” warned viewers against driving drunk.

“We’ll know if you’ve been drinking. We’ll know if you are drunk,” one traffic officer sings before the camera cuts to a tow truck and a booking station.

Later, an officer twirls a pair of handcuffs while he sings about calling a cab.

“Our staff members were good sports about the video,” Newport Beach police spokeswoman Jennifer Manzella said. “Projects like this are outside of the normal duties of a police officer or a jailer, but they played along nicely.”

The department uploaded the video to YouTube as a holiday reminder to drive sober. (Search for “Holiday DUI PSA 2014.”)

“It’s not a new message,” Manzella said. “We’re just trying to make it fresh in people’s minds.”

Driving under the influence is a constant concern for Newport Beach police, Manzella said, but this time of year — when parties and festive beverages abound — is ideal for reminding drivers to act responsibly.

“Although the tone of the video is very upbeat, we know that driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is a very serious offense,” she said. “The injuries and fatalities that result from DUI traffic collisions are 100% preventable.”

In 2013, Newport Beach police arrested 432 people on suspicion of driving under the influence, according to department statistics. Forty-two of those arrests were in December.

— Jeremiah Dobruck

Twitter: @jeremiahdobruck